


The Myth of Alfred and Arthur

by sleeplessdreams



Series: UsUk Sweethearts Week [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Fluff, M/M, and humor, first fic on here, lots of fluff, originally for sweethearts week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 18:55:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3458141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeplessdreams/pseuds/sleeplessdreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Various characters take the place of Greek gods and other mythological characters for a retelling of Greek mythology, specifically the myth of Persephone and Hades. Alfred is Persephone and Arthur Hades.<br/>Or Alfred and Arthur are both lonely, unhappy gods. They fall in love in the ways of Greek mythology.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Myth of Alfred and Arthur

**Author's Note:**

> For my first fic posted on here, Greek mythology! This was originally for UsUk Sweethearts Week.  
> In case it's kind of confusing, here's a list of characters and names.  
> America - Alfred - Persephone  
> England - Arthur - Hades  
> China - Yao - Charon  
> Nyo!France - Francine - Demeter  
> Canada - Matthew - Hecate  
> Sealand - Peter - Hermes  
> Scotland - Alistair - Zeus

“Who is that?”Arthur, the king of the dead, stood looking down at the earth. He watched a boy frolicking in a field of flowers with an amused expression.

“Are you blind?” Yao, questioned, coming up beside him. “That’s Alfred, son of Francine. Don’t you remember the baby shower a few hundred years ago?” Leave it to Yao, the amazing ferryman he was , to know who everyone was.

Arthur puffed out his cheeks indignantly. “Of course!” A lie. “On to another question. Is he glittering?”

Yao studied Alfred closer and shrugged. “I suppose he is. He is the god of life and spring. Now if you would excuse me, I do have a job to do.”

Arthur nodded, already pulling out his phone. Yao raised an eyebrow but said no more before he left.

Meanwhile, Alfred had wandered far from his watchers, partially because they weren’t really watching him. And he wanted to get away. He was an adult! He didn’t need anyone to watch him.

He sat down in a field to pick flowers. Alfred was arranging them into a crown when the Earth rumbled. Now standing in front of him was a dark figure. By dark, Alfred meant he was dressed in all black and surrounded by what he thought was smoke.

At first Alfred, was intimidated by the man. He looked slightly pissed and not the most friendly. Then he saw his eyebrows and started laughing. He couldn’t fathom how he one took this man serious.

_Alistair said I had to be civil. But if he agrees, brother said I could marry Alfred._ Thoughts like these ran through Arthur’s head as he approached Alfred. Trying to appear friendly, he smiled. But laughter stopped him dead in his tracks and turned his smile into a glare. “Stop it.”

“Sorry but your eyebrows are so unusual,” Alfred apologized while still managing to be insulting. It seemed his mother’s lessons on manners didn’t stick.

“Don’t you know who I am?” At Alfred’s blank expression, he continued with a sigh. “Arthur, kind of the Underworld.”

“Cool! I’m Alfred, god of spring and stuff. What’s up?” His tone was very casual, as if conversing with an angry stranger was normal.

Arthur internally chastised Alfred’s too friendly demeanor. Was he not worried for his safety? “Yes, I’m aware. To the business at hand, I have a proposition for you,” He started his case slowly and gently so Alfred understood.

Alfred merely motioned for him to continue. “I would like you to come to the Underworld with me because I ah, well you see…” Arthur trailed off. Now his more reserved, even more human, side was showing.

He coughed and tried to will away the blush surely on his cheeks. “Well, I am in need of a queen of the Underworld. Someone to balance things out. Who better than the opposite of death, life?” He laughed nervously, trying to relax the mood.

Alfred blinked, taking everything in. That was not what he expected to hear. But it did give him a chance to get away, not be watched constantly. And being queen, wielding power had to be fun. So he grinned. “I am willingly to live with you in the Underworld for some time. If I come to like it,” And you, “I will stay as queen. Is that acceptable?” He was surprisingly sincere.

Arthur anticipated him fully saying no so he was about to launch into more reasons to join him. At Alfred’s partial acceptance, all he could squeak out was, “Eh?” His face was bemused, not anticipating this outcome.

Hopefully recovered, Arthur started to talk. “Of course it is. But are you sure you’ll be allowed to go? That you mother will let you?” Why he was giving the boy any reason to recant his answer, he didn’t know. Maybe he was still shocked and wanted to convince himself this was real.

Alfred narrowed his eyes at the reference to his lack of freedom. He became irritated when he was reminded of it.

“I am adult! Mother has no control over my life! I’m free to do as I want!” Alfred declared. However, everyone knew his statement was false.

Arthur then made one the best decisions that day – he didn’t press the matter. He didn’t want a sob story or Alfred to not come with him. “Alright,” He simply said. “Follow me then. A word of advice, don’t eat anything that grows in the Underworld. Or you’ll have to stay there forever no matter your decision.”

“What am I supposed to eat then?” Alfred cried out, distressed.

“Relax. A, you can eat food from the Earth. B, you’re a god!”

Alfred’s “oh” seemed to echo throughout the Earth as they marched towards the Underworld.

It had only been two days since Alfred’s arrival and he was already causing chaos. At first sight of Cerberus, Alfred had cooed and called him over. Thankfully, the hound took to him. The bad part came when he played fetch with him. Many things ended up in rivers that should not have been there.

Then he bothered the resting dead. They then complained to Arthur and asked to get rid of Alfred. But the answer was always no because  _hes our guest you fools. We can’t just kick him out after inviting hm here!_  Even though Arthur could easily kick anyone out.

The worst complainer in the Underworld though had to be Yao. Alfred was interested in his job or carrying the dead over to the Underworld. He also felt his job, and all of the Underworld really, was more than a little drab and needed fixing up. So Yao’s ferry and various other parts of Arthur’s home were covered in bows and glitter- anything that “gave a spark of life.”

Yao was used to tradition and the dark living conditions. He protested the changes vehemently to Arthur and anyone who would listen. He even threatened to leave if things got worse.

“Alfred, we need to talk.” Arthur moved in front of the day dreaming blond, his arms crossed. “No one is exactly happy with your improvements.”  _They just won’t speak for to you so I have to be the messenger._ “Not that they’re bad of course. They’re just different and the change disturbs some who wan peace.”

Right then, Alfred looked exactly like Cerberus when Arthur scolded him. He was sure the boy, no man really, pouted. “Ok. I _guess_  I can tone it down. For you Artie!”

Oh the nickname. For starters, it wasn’t proper – Arthur rarely tolerated anything but his full name. And it was too familiar coming from a person who had known him for two days! At least it meant Alfred was warming up Arthur’s sometimes cold attitude.

So Arthur was willingly to ignore the nickname, and the lush that sprang up when Alfred said it, if it meant good things. He even ignored the fact that Alfred wasn’t taking down all his decorations he was so pleased Alfred seemed to like him. Honestly, he was turning into such a young god or goddess. Or even Alfred himself.

Since Alfred had left the Earth, it had fell to dead like state. Plants were wilting and people going hungry. After all, Alfred brought spring and life, which brought the harvest and food.

Even though he caretakers had not been watching him when he left, Alfred was noticed missing as soon as the first plant died. Francine was furious and sure her son had been kidnapped. After all, why would her innocent Alfred leave the Earth himself?

She searched relentlessly for him but soon encountered a problem. No one she talked to saw him disappear or had any idea where Alfred may be. Still, Francine could not give up hope and continued to search.

Finally a young god came forward claiming to see what happened. Matthew, the god of magic and the moon, had watched the scene from his perch in the sky, which he claimed some rulership over. What he  said he saw however was not what Francine wanted or expected to hear.

“You most be mistaken. There is no way Alfred went with Arthur of all people willingly.”

“No, I am confident in what I saw,” Matthew said again with a sigh. Used to what he had to say being ignored or discredited, he wasn’t too upset. And he knew Francine would question anyone who told the same thing.

“Both were completely clam and seemed rather friendly. There was no kicking, screaming, or carrying off to some unknown place which would suggest a kidnapping.” Matthew was, however, becoming tired of repeating himself.

“If you are so sure, you must be lying!” Francine decided dramatically. That was still the only logical conclusion in her mind. There was no possible way everyone else was right and she was wrong. Mo possible way Alfred wasn’t the boy she knew anymore.

Matthew stared Francine in the eyes and spoke. Though his voice was quiet, it did not lack force. “No, I do not lie unlock some other gods. Your son was not kidnapped and is not the sweet, naive boy you imagine.” Matthew had an impressive ability of knowing what others were thinking. Perhaps that came with being the god of magic.

“If you still do not believe me, it is obvious you will not believe my words. The simple solution is to go to the Underworld ourselves and see if Alfred is there. Then we ask him his side.”

“No! Not that bleak place resided over by  _that_ thing!” Again, she said this dramatically. She claimed to not have a personal reason to dislike Arthur, or his kingdom. She did not really know him even. It was simply that she was the goddess of the harvest and he brought death, even to her wonderful crops. The nerve of that boy!

“Do you want to get your son back?” Matthew practically hissed. When he heard no more protest, he sighed, relieved. “Come on. We must get Peter and while we’re at it, tell Alistair our plan.” With that, he led the goddess to Olympus where the main gods resided.

Alfred was enchanted by Arthur even after a few short days. He sat on a riverbank watching the king talk to Yao. He ruled with a firm, unyielding hand yet was considerate of his citizens. He claimed it was because the dead deserved kindness after all they had been through. He could not claim the same thing for the living.

Yet Alfred was living. And Arthur had been kind and respectful, treating him like a true guest. At first, Alfred worried that was only to convince to accept his offer. The more he stayed here, the clearer it was that Arthur really was kind. He was a good person even when Alfred shouldn’t see or it didn’t affect him.

_It must be all he’s gone through that makes Arthur present himself as uncaring. He doesn’t want to seem vulnerable._  Alfred thought, laying his head on his knees and still watching Arthur. Of course, the real Arthur he saw had feelings, even if had a hard time expressing them.

He smiled easily, comfortable to just sit there forever. Though he wondered if he would more content with Arthur sitting there too, enjoying the silence with him.

Absentmindedly, Alfred picked up something on the ground. He glanced at it and quickly realized it was a pomegranate. His stomach rumbled, even though he had ate just a few hours ago. Forgetting what would happen if the fruit was from the Underworld, he took a bite. Spitting out the outer part, he managed to get a few good seeds.

As he was swallowing the pomegranate, Arthur turned around to Alfred and his bitten fruit. His face turned to one of shock and he breathed deeply. “Did you just do what I think you did?”

“What?”

“Eat the pomegranate which was grown in the Underworld you idiot!”

“Oh. Oh no I did!” He spluttered. Alfred’s face was white and he shook. “I’m gonna die!”

“Stop wailing. We just have to be calm. Maybe there’s a way to fix this so you don’t have to stay in the Underworld forever. I know it’s pretty boring and sad. I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to leave.” Arthur was definitely scared or he wouldn’t be ranting. Suddenly he remember why Alfred was here in the first place. To (hopefully) become queen. “Unless, you wanted to stay as queen…”

Alfred was about to answer that he actually wouldn’t mind staying when he was (rudely if you asked him) interrupted by a panting Yao.

“I’m sorry! I know you say never to allow the living in without your permission but they wouldn’t listen! The ranting one wouldn’t take no for an answer. I couldn’t stop them!”

“Yao, slow down. Who is it?” Arthur asked confused on who would want to enter the Underworld so badly. Yao simply pointed behind him, to a group quickly approaching.

Francine led the three and Peter and Matthew followed close behind. When Arthur and Alfred realized who they were, they both blanched. Neither had considered what to do if the inevitable happened, especially if Alfred wanted to stay. What was worse for Arthur, he had dealt with Peter, who was something of an annoying younger brother, many times before and knew what a pain he could be.

Reaching Alfred, Francine all but threw herself onto her son for a hug. “Oh my poor son! What did Arthur do? Are you alright?” she questioned, squeezing Alfred tightly. The whole time, the other four looked uneasily at the others.

“Mom. Can’t breath,” Alfred gasped, partially to escape her questions. Francine let go and looked at him expectantly.

It seemed Alfred had no choice but explain the whole thing. And here he was hoping his mother would get the idea and leave it alone. “No mom, Arthur did not hurt me. He didn’t do anything. Not really.” He sighed before continuing, anxious to see Francine’s reactions to his next comment. “All he did was invite me to the Underworld and offermethepositionofqueen.”

Used to Alfred’s tendencies, Francine understood every word. The rest, farther away and not as accustomed to Alfred, had to ask Arthur what he said. “Did you accept?” She asked quietly, not sure what she wanted the answer to be.

Alfred began to blush. Out of the corner of his eye, he was sure Arthur did the same. “I agreed to come live in the Underworld for awhile, which is why I left Earth. I am sorry for not telling you though, “He added. “I was going to decide whether to be queen or not after my stay.”

Another question. “Do you want to be queen.” Also soft.

“Um, I was actually about to tell Arthur that I think I might like to be queen, if he stills wants me to,” Alfred confessed, his blush reddening.

“And I would love for him to be queen and stay with me,” Arthur added quickly before Francine talked again. He considered moving closer to Alfred, to support him, but waited to see what his mother would do now.

“But Alfred.” She paused to consider her next words. Francine did not want to sound selfish but her want for her son to come home was largely because of her own interests. “The Earth is dying without you. The crops have filled and starvation is rampant. After all, you bring spring. Without you on Earth it is cold and nothing can grow. If you care for the Earth and its people, you have to return.”

The smile that had grown after Alfred’s decision faltered. Abandoning the Earth he loved was not something a caring person did. And Alfred wanted to be caring. Though he had fallen in love with Arthur and wanted to stay here, he knew he shouldn’t. But there was one  _teenie_  problem – he couldn’t leave.

“While I would love to go home with you, I can’t. I kinda ate a pomegranate that grew here and eating something from the Underworld means you have to stay there permanently. Rules of citizenship or some crap.” He gave his mother a sheepish smile, having the decency to realize his faults. All Francine could do was stare blankly.

While Arthur moved close to Alfred, Matthew grabbed Peter’s shirt and dragged him away from the others. He had an idea but needed to confirm with Peter if it would work.

“Don’t you think the Earth could survive a little bit with only Francine keeping alive?” Matthew asked.

Peter considered that before nodding. “It seems possible. Alfred has not been alive as long as the Earth and his mother.”

Matthew grinned, half of his plan was good so far. “And your father, Alistair, he can bend immortal rules slightly right? Make it so a citizen didn’t have to stay where they were supposed to for the entire time?”

Catching on, Peter nodded fervently. “Yes! Believe me, he bends even breaks rules for himself all the time! And he owes me a favor for everything I put up with.” He then muttered something about an annoying older brother(Arthur).

“Then get him on the phone and let’s settle this thing!”

“We have a plan,” Matthew announced, walking to the others with a triumphant smile. “And before anyone asks, we talked with Alistair and he approved this.”

Peter looked at Matthew who nodded at him to speak for the two of them. “Alfred will divide his time between Earth and the Underworld. When he is at the Earth during the first time of the year, the harvest will be in full bloom, the weather will be warm, and the Earth will be more alive than it has ever been. When he returns to the Underworld, it will be up to you Francine to keep the Earth alive enough to be brought back to its glory when Alfred returns the following year.”

“Also, I will accompany Alfred to the Underworld and back. I will stay and watch over him when he is in the Underworld,” Matthew interjected. Though he didn’t know Alfred, Matthew liked him. He hoped they could become friends from this arrangement. “Is that good with everyone.

All three listening nodded. “I will do what I can to keep the Earth alive and not demand my son come home before he is supposed to. However, if something happens to him, I cannot promise anything,” Francine stated, looking everyone in the eyes.

Believing everyone was in agreement, Matthew smiled and said “Arthur and Alfred may get married and Alfred may become queen, if they would like. Though I think they would.”

Alfred and Arthur looked at each other now, each with a smile and blush. “Yes, we would,” Alfred was the first to speak up. Arthur echoed his reply.

Throwing an arm over each boys’ shoulder, Francine grinned form ear to ear. “Great! We have a wedding to plan! And I have a future son-in-law to get to know because he is evidently not as bad as he seems.”

A few months later, a grand wedding, fit for the royals they were, occurred in the Underworld. Of course Alfred, the life in the middle of a dead world, couldn’t stand the place not being decorated and livened up with flowers all around. He even wore flowers in his hair, as he had the day Arthur first saw him. That night, the couple danced, holding each other. Together as rulers of the Underworld, they were finally happy for once in their long, long lives.


End file.
